Owners of waterfront property typically own one or more personal watercraft that are utilized for sport and pleasure. These watercraft can include small boats, canoes, dinghies, jet skis, and other powered and non-powered marine craft. Most owners of waterfront property have docks extending from the shore into the body of water to allow easy access to the watercraft. In addition, these docks are used to moor the watercraft for safe storage when not in use.
It is frequently desirable to have a watercraft removed from the water for storage instead of leaving it moored to the dock. For instance, rough weather can cause significant wave action that will force the watercraft to repeatedly crash into the dock. In addition, watercraft such as jet skis are more properly stored outside of the water because their low profile in the water makes them more susceptible to water damage.
A number of devices have been developed to assist the users and owners of these watercraft in lifting the watercraft out of the water. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,187 discloses a hydraulic actuator and lift apparatus that is mounted adjacent to a dock for lifting a small watercraft from the water. As is typical of commercially available lifts today, this device has a rectangular-shaped stationary frame that includes upright legs or rails that are mounted on the dock to extend down into the water. Cross support beams are attached to the rails and to the bottom of the dock to provide rigid support. A hydraulic actuator is mounted to the frame under the water for moving a platform up and down on the frame. While the top of the rails in this patent are substantially flush with the top of the dock, other devices extend the rails above the dock to enable lifting of a watercraft higher than the dock. The drawbacks to these lifts presently in use is that they are complex and cumbersome. Installation frequently requires access to underneath the dock, securing the rails to the ground beneath the water, and present an unsightly appearance. Many of these lifts lack the capability of easily adjusting their vertical height to accommodate changes in water levels that can result from tides, run-off, drought, etc. In addition, the actuator mechanism is frequently submerged, reducing its life and making it difficult to adjust or repair the mechanism.